Power-controlling mechanism for timepieces



1 March 17, 1931. w. H. GREENLEAF POWER CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR TIME PIECES Filed Dec. 7, 1926 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES EXTENT GFFECE 'WTLLIAM H. GREENLEAF, OE HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN CLOCK COMEAEQ'Y, F 'I'PERU, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATEOIT OF ILLINOIS POWER-CONTROLLING MECEANISM FOR TIMEPIECES Application filed December 7, 1926. Serial No. 153,193.

My invention relates to that class of mech anism employed for maintaining an amount of power suilicient for the con nuous and practicable operation of time piece, and an object of my invention, among others, is the production of a mechanism of this type that shall be extremely simple in construction an d particularly eiiicient in operation.

Gne form of mechanism embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a nism embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view looking from a point located at right angles to the point of view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View with one of the supporting plates removed.

F i gnre 4a is an isometric view showing the parts unassembled and in relative positions for being assembled.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the scmbled structure.

is hereinbetore mentioned my invention is adapted for use in connection with time pieces, and espcially of the type in sc clec r operated means employed for on, ically controlling the operation of the clock movemechamerit, the invention relating especially to sucii electrical mechanism or unit t e parts directly ope 'ated thereby, and Ior thi reason only such parts as are necessary to an nderstanding of the invention are flit:- in the drawings herein. This el ctrical mechanism or unit embodying m invention is adapted for use in connection with various types of time piecs, such for in as is shown in my United P to. 1,525,179, dated February 3rd,

wide 1 patent reference is hereby made y further understanding that may desire. of such clocl: mechanism.

My improved magnet meclnmism or unit includes in its construction two supporting ilates 67 secured together by tie posts 8 n between which plates unit loca ed. T .e plate 6 is pr ferably composed. of steel 50 waich is a magnetic metal and it therefore as a bafile plate to absorb the magnetic and hereby prevent interference of such 'th the clock mechanism which is, in an yedtypo, closely associated withthe elecmeohanism, the numeral 9 indicating s or clips 10, it being understood that such clock mechanism may consist of two of such plates secured together in spaced relation and supporting the pinions, gears, &c., comprising the clock mechanism between them.

The magnet member hereinbefore referred to embodies a toe plate 11 of the usual nonmagnetic material and a heel iron 12. This plate 11 and iron 12 are similar, in so far as shape is concerned, each of said pieces having on opposite ed es tangs 13 adapted to fit and be secured, as by riveting or otherwise, within holes in the plates 6 and T. The plate 11 in ay be secured to projecting ends 14 of the cores of the magnets in any suitable manner, as by riveting, it being observed that in the construction herein shown two coils 15 are used although this number oi coils is not absolutely essential to the construction.

The projecting ends 16 of the cores opposite the e ds 1% are polygonal in form in cross section and a filling piece 17 of insulating material shaped to it upon each of these ends 16 and against the end plate 18 oi coil. A terminal plate 19 is formed with an opening to lit on of the hi ces and a terminal plate 20 is torme" i n .1 openin to lit the other of said fill pieces, each or these terminal plat s being provided with a hole to receive an end 21 or 22 oil one of the coils, which ends are secured to the plates in any suitable manner. Each 0" said plates 1920 has contact 23 or il-l ext from, an: an insulating plate with an opening to fit the nllinn' on each of the coils.

The terminal plate and insulating plate appurtenant to each filling piece 1'? have a combined thickness equal to substantially that of the filling piece, so that the heel iron 12 will be seated squarely against the filling pieces and the insulating plates 25.

This is of special importance, as it aids in the simplicity of the construction. The plates 6 and 7 are provided, hereinbeiore stated, with openings for the tangs 13, said openings being spaced a certain distance apart on each plate. These plates are made up in quantities, as are er being all of substant i and by providing the filling pieces 1? of definite thickness relative to th l the plates 6 and 7, the tangs l on the l eel iron 12 will be s aced from'the tangs on the toe plate 11 substantially the distance between the openings in the plates 6 and 7, in each assemblage 01 a coil unit, so that no diiliculties will be encountered in attaching the coil units to the plates 6 and 7.

The heel iron is provioed with openings 26 to the projecting ends l6 oi" the cores, and a slot 2? extends from one to the other of saic openings. A positioning piece 28 of insulating material is secured in the slot 27 with its ends preferably in contact with the ends 16 of the cores. T is ends 2930 of the coils opposite the ends .2l-22 extend through notches 31 in the terminal plates l920, through sim- -ilar but smaller notches in the insulating plates 25 and into holes in the positioning piece 28, which holes are located to position the ends 29-30 so that the will not make contact with the plates 19 or 20. The ends 29-3O are then bent over and inserted in a hole 32 at about the lengthwise center of the positioning piece and these ends may be connected as by a piece of soloer 33. lhe heel iron may be secured to the projecting ends 01" the core in any suitable manner, as by peening over the ends of the latter.

The end of the contact 23 is bent, as shown in Figure 2, to make direct contact with a terminal plate 3% of a binding post that passes through the plate 7, and is suitably insulated therefrom, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawin s, said post bein connected with ne 1 ole I tl batt r. The contac 24- is L11 9 O 16 v )7 l1 positioned for engagement by a make-and break lever 36 pivotally mounted on the plate 7, said lever being grounded on said plate and a binding post 37 to receive a connection from the opposite pole of said battery is also rounded on said plate. The malts-and break lever 36 operates and is operated in a manner set out in my hereinbetore referred to patent, this operation, however, not requiring a specific explanation for a complete un derstanding of the invention set forth herein.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes l have described the princi ples of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to rep resent thev best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it nderstood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim 1. A power controlling mechanism including two main supporting plates spaced apart and each having openings spaced apart in position to register with the openings in the other plate, a power control ing element located between said main supporting plates and including a support-in member secured to each end of the power controlling element, tangs upon said members arranged to engage said openings, and means tor spacing said plates on said controllmg element to position said tan s to register with said openings.

2. A power controlling mechanism including two plates spaced apart and each having openings spacedala in position to register vith the openin s ft in the other plate, a magnet located between saidsupport-ing plates and including a toe plate and a heel iron s cured to the cores of the magnet, said too plate and iron each having tangs upon opposite edges thereof to engage saio openings, and means for spacing one of said na secured to said magnet from the other id parts to position said tangs to register ith said openings.

3. A power controlled mechanism including two main supporting plates spaced apart each having openings spaced apart in 'tion to regis er with openings in the other e, a power controlling element including a magnet, a supporting member secured to the core at each end of the magnet, and means mounted on a core of a magnet to space one of supporting members from the other in position toregister with said openings.

4. A power controlling mechanism includtwo supporting plates, spaced apart and each having openings spaced apart in position to register with the openings inthe oth plate, a power controlling elementlocated between said supporting plates and including a magnet comprising a core, a filling piece fitting a projecting end of said core, a heel iron secured to said core against said filling piece, a toe plate secured to the opposite end of said core, and tangs upon opposite edges of said heel iron and toe plate positioned to register with said openings.

5. A power controlling mechanism including two supporting plates s aced apart and each having openings spaced apart in position to register with the openings in the other plate, a power controlling element comprising a magnet consisting of two coils located between said supporting plates, a toe plate secured to the projectin ends of the cores of each of said coils at one end. of the ma net, a filling piece secured to the projecting end of each core at the opposite end oi the magnet, and a heel iron secured to the projecting ends of the cores and resting against to push) a magne a terminal attached to the end or the core of said magnet and having a contact, terminal on one ct said supporting p ans, means for securing mag net to s supporting plates in position to press said contact against said terminal.

T. A magnet including a coil and core projecting beyond the end of the coil, a ter minal plate secured at the end of said coi and insulated from said core, said plate having a hole to receive one end or; the wire of: said coil and a notch through which other end of said coil. passes, and a member secured to the end of said core and havi g means to position said other end of said i e to prevent its contact with the edges of said notch.

8. A. magnet including a coil and a core projecting beyond the end of the coil, a terminal plate secured at the end of said coil and insulated from said core, said plate hava hole to receive one end of the wire of said coil and a notch through which the other end of said wire passes, a positioning piece secured to the end of said core and having means to receive said wire and position it to maintain it out of contact with the edges of said notch, and a heel iron secured to said core and having means to receive said other end of said wire.

9. A magnet including a coil and a core having a reduced end projecting beyond the end of thecoil, a filling piece secured to said reduced end of the core, terminal plate having an opening to fit over said filling piece, a hole to receive one end of the wire comprising the coil and a notch through which the opposite end of said wire passes, an ii ulating plate fitting over said filling piece and having means to position said other end of the wire to prevent contact with the 1 cs 01 said notch, and means secured to said. core to receive said other end of said end of the coil, a filling piece secured to said reduced end of the core, a terminal plate litting over said filling piece and having a hole to receive one end of the wire comprising the coil and a notch in said opening through which the other end of said wire passes, an insul plate fitting over said filling piece and having a positioning notch in the edge of its opening to receive said other end of said wire and maintain it out of contact with the edges of said notch, and means secured to the end of said core to hold said terminal plate and insulating plate in place and provided with means for attachment of said other end of said wire.

11. A magnet including a plurality of coils and a core projecting at the end of each coil, and conducting plates secured to one end of the wire comprising each of said coils, plate secured to the projecting ends of said cores, and an insulating piece secured to said plate and having means to receive and hold the opposite ends of the wires comprising each of said coils.

12. A magnet including a plurality of coils and a core projecting at the end of each coil, conducting plates secured to one end of the wire comprising each of said coils, a plate secured to the projecting ends of said cores and having a slot therein, and an insulating piece secured within said slot and having means to receive and hold the opposite ends of the wires comprising each of said coils.

13. A magnet including a plurality of coils and a core projecting at the end of each coil, conducting plates secured to one end of the wire comprising each of said coils, a plate secured to the projecting ends of said cores, and an insulating piece secured to said plate and having end holes for the reception of the opposite ends of said wires and an intermediate hole to receive the opposite ends of both of said wires.

14. A magnet including a plurality of coils and a core projecting at the end of each coil,

conducting plates each secured to one end of the wire comprising each of said coils, and supported by the ends of said cores, said conducting plates each having an opening through which a wire passes, a heel iron secured to the projecting ends of said cores, and a positioning piece of insulating material secured to said heel iron and having an end opening for one end of a wire comprising each of said coils and a center opening for the opposite ends of saidwires.

15. A magnet including a plurality of coils and a core projecting at the end of each coil, conducting plates supported by the ends of said cores and each having means of attachment of one end of a wire comprising each of said coils, said conducting plates also having openings through which one end of each of said coils passes, a heel iron secured to the projecting ends of said cores and having a slot therein, a positioning piece of insulating material secured within said slot and having an opening at opposite ends to receive one end of a wire comprising one of said coils and a center opening to receive both ends of said wires, and means for securing the ends of said wires together Within said center opening.

16. The combination with a magnet includ ing field cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores, of means interposed between the yoke and the coils for supporting the'leads of said coils.

17. The combination with a magnet including field cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores, of means mounted on the cores between the coils and the yoke for supporting the leads of said coils.

18. The combination with a magnet including field cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores, of means interposed between the yoke and the coils for providing terminals for the coils.

19. The combination With a magnet includfield cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores of means mounted on tie cores between the coilsand the yoke for providing terminals for the coils. 7

20. The combination with a magnet including field cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores, of means mounted on the cores between the coils and the yoke and insulated from the cores and the yoke for providing terminals for the cons.

21. The combination With a magnet including field cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on said cores, ofmeans interposed between the yoke and the coils for providing terminals for one lead of each coil, and means for insulating said last mentioned means and also the remaining leads of said coils from the cores and the yoke.

22. The combination with a magnet including iield cores, a yoke connecting said cores, and coils mounted on saio cores, of means secured to the yoke and supporting one lead from each coil to permit said leads to be attached so as to interconnect the coils.

23. In combination, a magnet including a lotted yoke, and means secured in the slot for supporting coil leads.

In combination, a magnet including a slotted yoke, and an insulating member positioned in said slot and apertured to receive coil leads.

25. In combination, a magnet including a yoke having openings to receive the ends of field cores and having a slot'located between said openings, of means positioned in said slot for supporting coil leads.

26. In combination, a magnet including a yoke having openings to receive the ends of field cores and having a slot communicating with said openings, and an insulating member filling said slot for supporting coil leads.

27. In a device of the type described, a pair of supporting plates, a plurality of magnetcores, and means for connecting the cores in proper spaced relation with respect to each other and for connecting the cores to said plates.

28. In a. device of the type described, a'pair of supporting plates, a plurality of magnet cores having their axes extending in parallelism with the planes of said plates, and

30. An electromagnetic structure including a core, a coil mounted on the core, a support for one end of the core, said support having a slot formed therein, and an insulatin memb r located in the slot and holding ore lead of the coil out of electrical conh the support.

"1 LIAM H. GREEh LEAF. 

